Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Kléber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent will represent Brazil in the Best International Film category at the 2026 Academy Awards, the Brazilian Academy of Cinema announced monday (15).
The selection marks a notable moment for Brazilian cinema, building on the momentum of the country’s first Oscar win in the category earlier this year with Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here. The Secret Agent, starring Wagner Moura, is set in Recife in 1977 during the military dictatorship and follows Marcelo, a technology teacher caught in a web of espionage and paranoia. The film has already garnered international acclaim,including awards for Best director (Mendonça Filho) and Best Actor (Moura) at the Cannes Film Festival.
Though selection as Brazil’s representative doesn’t guarantee a nomination, it’s a crucial first step in the Oscar process. each country submits one film for consideration, from which the Academy will select the final nominees. The Oscar ceremony is scheduled for March 15, 2026.
Other films considered for the brazilian nomination included Baby by Marcelo Caetano, Kasa branca by Luciano Vidigal, Manas by Marianna Brennand, Last Blue by Gabriel Mascaro, and West Again by Erico Rassi.
The Secret Agent has not yet been released in Brazil.
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